sail
by victorynike
This is how I show my love
I made it in my mind because
I blame it on my A.D.D. baby
She heard little pieces, snippets of conversation that she did not understand. But between them were mindless sleep and vague nightmares, and she drifted between them until she could no longer distinguish which was which.
"Really, Mr. Potter, this is getting ridiculous. You've got to go back to the dormitories!"
"I'm fine where I am, Professor McGonagall, thanks."
Pale face, lidless red eyes, a thin mouth curled into a smile.
"People are saying that it was a potions experiment gone wrong. They're saying Lily tried to brew the Draught of Living Death and it blew up in her face! Can you believe the nerve…"
"People are going to spread rumors, Alice. They don't know...they don't know what happened."
"That's no excuse, Mary! I've even heard some people suggesting that she took the potion herself! Of course I hexed the git who said it-"
"James said it was a memory charm."
"It was. That's what he said..."
"So when she wakes up, she might not remember us?"
"I...I don't know."
She was terrified. A woman was laughing maniacally and pulling her, holding her arms behind her back as she struggled to fight back. But the woman only laughed harder.
"Lets see how dirty her blood really is!" And then she unsheathed the knife.
"Any update on Miss Evans's condition, Madam Pomfrey?"
"I'm afraid not, Headmaster. We'll just have to see what she remembers when she wakes up."
"Send word immediately when she does, Poppy. I'll see to it that her family is notified."
"Headmaster? Er...one more thing."
"Yes, Poppy?"
"Could perhaps something be done about the Potter boy? He refuses to leave."
"The poor boy has been through a lot as well. Let him be."
Her eyelids slid open. She stared upward blearily, a white ceiling came into focus.
She caught a flash of messy black hair before someone grabbed her hand.
"She's awake!" a masculine voice called happily.
There were scurrying footsteps down the hall.
"Who's awake?" she asked no one in particular, still blinking at the white ceiling. Her voice was gravelly, rough. She didn't realize it was hers.
Someone peered over her, filling her vision with hazel eyes and messy hair. "You are!" he said, and he smiled.
"At last! Run and fetch Professor Dumbledore at once!" a new voice said fussily. "Look at me, dear, that's right."
She turned her head and focused on a woman dressed in white.
"Lets see what you remember. What's your name?"
She stared. "My name is Lily Evans."
And the moment she said it she knew.
"How many fingers am I holding up?" contributed the boy.
"Four." Lily replied.
"Who is the current Minister of Magic?" the woman asked again.
"Millicent Bagnold."
The boy continued. "What's your favorite subject?"
"Charms."
"What year is it?"
"1978."
"What house are you in?"
"Gryffindor."
On and on it went, and slowly Lily found herself remembering who she was.
Until, finally, the boy hesitated.
"What-D'you remember what happened to you?"
He looked at her intently, and she registered that his eyes were a rich color somewhere in between gold and brown.
"What do you mean?" she asked, confused.
"Do you remember what happened last week? When you were attacked…"
"What?! No." Lily cried, lost once more. "I don't know!"
She didn't want to go back to not knowing, to not understanding. She was just beginning to remember...so why didn't she remember being attacked? Against her will, tears began to well in her eyes. Why was this happening? Merlin...she wanted...she wanted her mother. She was seventeen years old, and she wanted her mother. What was going on?
"Evans, its okay," the boy said quickly. "Don't-it's not important anyways."
If it wasn't important then why was he asking her? If it was okay then why did she feel like something was missing?
"One more question," he promised quietly, turning away from her for a moment before asking it. "What's my name?"
He locked eyes with her again. She stared.
"I don't know."
Author's Note: This is the first of a four or five piece story. Unlike other stories I have written in the past, nearly the entire story has already been written prior to the posting of this first part. Chapters will be posted weekly on Sundays. Of course, reviews are always welcome and can greatly speed up the posting.
This piece is rather peculiar in my opinion. It was written in an unusual mood and written, as the title may suggest, nearly entirely while listening to the song Sail by AWOLNATION. If you would like the full feel of the story, I suggest you listen to it as well.
Once again, your reviews are greatly appreciated and a particularly thoughtful one may result in a quicker post of the next chapter! Thank you, and kindly drop a review if you have a moment.
Yours,
VictoryNike
June 20, 2014